Wednesday, April 20, 2005
ANOTHER POST ABOUT THE BRAVEST BADDEST TRUTHTELLER OF THEM ALL
Jay Rosen of PressThink does some Grade A character analysis:
They're on opposite sides of course, but Nick Coleman really reminds me of David Horowitz. Some practices common to both: the instant demonization of others, the personalizing of all disputes ("nor do I remember you defending me...."); the masochism in saying what you intuitively know will get you ripped; the comical self-image as the baddest, bravest truthteller of them all; generating side issues (like the "unauthorized" publication of Coleman's note) in case the main one flags; the use of politics for narcissistic self-display, and the quality of seeming "unhinged" in public debate.
This is in addition to the most obvious parallel: the principle of all-out overstatement, almost all the time, the practice of rarely using a neutral term when a more inflammatory one can be found.
